


Old-School Reunion

by TheRavingRedhead



Category: Game Grumps
Genre: Alternate Universe, Crystal Grumps, Gen, M/M, Platonic Relationships
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-25
Updated: 2015-06-25
Packaged: 2018-04-06 04:44:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,528
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4208400
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheRavingRedhead/pseuds/TheRavingRedhead
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's kind of weird when your gem seems to want something your head hasn't realized yet. But it's there. It's definitely there. And at MAGfest, of all places. Crystal Grumps AU, vague Egotron, rated T for language.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Old-School Reunion

**Author's Note:**

> NOTE: this is not meant to reflect what actually happened at MAGfest 2015. This is purely based on the Crystal Grumps AU and an idea that wouldn't stop nagging me at work a while back. This is not to be taken seriously.
> 
> Additionally, it is not meant to be shippy either, but if you want to look at it that way, go right ahead. 
> 
> Anyway, got this out of my system. Huzzah.

At first, it’s only a few sideways glances, with the occasional acknowledgement on his part. Of course, the Grumps are more noticeable since they usually go around as a group, while he roams around more on his own when not in panel rooms. They’re always chatting, either amongst themselves or to the fans they meet in the hallways. So maybe that’s why none of them is paying any particular attention to him when they happen to be close by. Or at least as close as he dares to go before someone notices. 

He knows things aren’t as tense as they used to be when he first left, but he isn’t exactly expecting to be welcomed with open arms either.

So when a cosplayer happens to spot him and Arin at the same time on the street that night, he’s unsure what to do. It hadn’t been planned at all, it was a complete accident. Hell, he didn’t even know Arin was on the same street as he was at the time. The cosplayer asks for a photo, and at first Jon is hesitant because he doesn’t really know where Arin stands in this whole thing. To his surprise, Arin obliges enthusiastically, and the photo is taken. It’s a bit weird, because only the cosplayer is looking into the camera, while they are looking at each other. Jon is trying his best to be neutral, or at least not to look mad or something, and Arin is doing this weird WTF face. The cosplayer thanks the two of them with a hug each and then runs off excitedly.

Once she is gone, it seems that the attention has drifted to other places, at least with the crowd around them. There are probably going to be some more candids from that moment later, Jon guesses. Neither of them moves, or gives any indication that they need to go. There is something in the air that makes Jon really uncomfortable; like a silence that’s just begging to be broken by something, but neither of them knows what.

Arin awkwardly shoves his hands in his coat and looks to the side. Jon clears his throat. The silence continues to linger for a while, and Jon is aching to say something. Anything, really. Just something to break this damn silence. This awkwardness that shouldn’t even fucking be here. They’re grown-ups, right? God he wants to say just fucking something.

Arin strikes first. “So, uh… You doin’ alright?” he asks, taking his right hand out of his coat pocket to gesture meekly, as if to encourage Jon to actually respond.

“Uh yeah, pretty good. Been a great year for the show and all,” he replies, sort of distantly wondering if Arin has even been watching. Nah, probably not. God, he’s just so relieved that it’s not quiet anymore. “You?”

“Yeah, it’s been cool. We’ve got some more shows going and stuff,” Arin says with a nod, and Jon is just now very aware of his excessive clenching of his right hand. It’s like he’s saying they need to get back to their hotels quickly, or wrap this up as soon as possible, or that he’s nervous, or–

Oh.

Jon automatically places one hand on his chest, where his own gem remains hidden under a couple of layers of clothing. It’s definitely doing something weird, now that he thinks about it. There hasn’t been that much activity to speak of lately, but he’s now noticing that there’s definitely something going on in there. An occasional, uncomfortable tug. No not a tug, more like an itch. Or like carpal tunnel or whatever. But in his chest. It’s weird. And for a moment, he wonders if that’s what’s going on with Arin’s, because he distinctly remembers that Arin’s right hand is his gem hand. Jon kind of wants to ask about it, if this tug-itch-thing is what’s going on with him. But he can’t just up and say it, that’d be way too invasive, and it’s not like they’re that close anymore. Maybe he can work his way up to it.

“They’re all gems, right? The Grumps?” he asks, and Arin nods. “And like, you’ve been able to fuse and shit?”

“Some of us, yeah,” Arin replies, his right hand still clenching. Yup, definitely like carpal tunnel for him. “Some more unstable than others.”

At that, Jon lets out a low laugh through the still apparent awkwardness. “Ross?”

Arin laughs, which makes Jon grin. This is better. Laughing is better. “Sometimes, but mostly when he’s with Dan. Barry and Kevin - our new editor - they’re the worst one, though. Like, their fusion is such a dickhead, man, you wouldn’t believe.”

“Oh damn. So like, nothing like they usually are?” Jon asks, and is pleasantly surprised by how well the conversation is going. Definitely way better than that fucking silence, damn.

“Dude, faaar from it,” Arin says, and then pauses for a moment. He looks down on his right hand before shoving it back in his pocket. “What about you? Any, uh, gem friends?”

“Not too many,” Jon replies with a shrug. “I mean, there’s Mark, but I don’t see him too often. PBG’s not really into the whole thing either. Says he loses touch with himself when he fuses or whatever. And Shane’s already a fusion, so he’s pretty, y’know, satisfied with himself. So yeah, there’s not that many, like, opportunities to fuse and shit.”

Once he stops talking, the awkward silence slowly creeps back, and Jon hates it. Loathes it, even. He wants this to keep going, even if just to patch things up. They were on a good track, why’d it have to get derailed so damn quickly?

“Hey listen, d'you–”

“Dude, d'you wanna–”

They both hesitate, and then chuckle it off. Jon gestures for Arin to continue.

“No like, I was just gonna say, y'know, if maybe you wanted to grab some dinner later,” he says, and then seems to realize it’s already late, and shakes his head with a grin. “Or tomorrow, whatever’s good. I mean, it’s a pretty busy con.”

“No, yeah, sounds great,” Jon replies, so damn thankful to hear that. Not just the offer, but just that Arin didn’t immediately go the ‘well better run’ route. “It’ll make the fanbase fucking lose their minds.”

Arin laughs, a bit louder this time. Jon has missed this laugh. He didn’t even know he missed it, but just hearing it reminds him of better, simpler times where he could practically hear it daily. “Dude, if that photo doesn’t go viral I’ll be so fucking disappointed,” Arin then says.

“It probably already has,” Jon says, and then picks up his phone to check the time. “So, tomorrow, maybe? Like, just to catch up in a better place than fucking outside like now.”

“Right, great,” Arin replies, and they make some arrangements to meet later. They exchange numbers, and then go their separate ways.

The entire walk back to the hotel, Jon has to keep from making some weird, strained faces because goddamn his gem won’t fucking let up. It’s still going, even after they’ve left. It’s like it’s trying to reach back or something. Jon shakes his head to keep that thought from getting any sappier.

—

The Sunday passes relatively quickly, but maybe it’s got something to do with how busy the con is. There are so many panels to check out, so many events to see, and so many places he’s promised to show up. Then there are the fan encounters, which he’s practically drowning in. Not that he’s complaining too much. He’s actually having way too much fun taking stupid selfies on their phones for them to keep.

Eventually, it’s about time to head to the place he said he’d meet Arin. It’s such a weird feeling. Just the thought alone is weird. He’s just casually meeting up with Arin after all this time. Bizarre.

There are a couple of more encounters at the place (of course), but nothing too major. It’s not even that many con guests either, just people who recognize him. Jon sits at an assigned table, just kind of looking around and waiting. Eventually Arin shows up, and the moment Jon spots him his gem gets even more restless than it already was. Fucking goddamn.

They smile at each other as a greeting, and then Arin sits down. They order up some food like any other meetup, and so far nothing is too tense. Once they’re done (and have drinks, thank fuck, because now he has something to do with his hands), they sit in silence for a moment. Not an awkward one like the night before, thankfully, but still. It’s quiet between them again, and that kind of worries Jon a little.

Arin clinks his gem to the side of his glass, which prompts Jon to start talking. “Hey so I wanted to ask, y'know since we got on the topic of fusions last night, has any of you done like an episode as a fusion?” he asks, just to say something. He still remembers how his and Arin’s happened the first time. It was actually an accident, if he remembers correctly. There wasn’t a dance or anything, they had just been laughing super hard and before they knew it they’d started glowing and then boom. Barry had even caught it on audio. Completely unusable audio because the game had just stopped, and it had been quiet for too long, but there was proof at least.

“Well, Dan and I have tried a couple of times, but it doesn’t really work,” Arin replies simply. “Mostly ‘cause our fusion’s a bit of a determinator, and he can’t really play and talk at the same time, it has to be one of the two. Oh, and me and Suzy tried one time, but we couldn’t use it ‘cause there was like no real commentary. I think Suzy and Barry had the best luck a while ago. But other than that there’s not much, on-camera fusing.”

Jon chuckles. “Figures. Game Grumps is a pretty dysfunctional show,” he jokes, and Arin catches it immediately.

“Hey, don’t be rude,” he says with a grin. “Besides, there’s more shows and combos to work with now, so–”

“So doesn’t that just mean like more chaos?” Jon cuts in with a laugh.

“Exactly!” Arin replies, and the two of them share a little chuckle. They then both take a sip of their drinks, and Arin goes back to clinking his gem for a while. He looks around the restaurant a bit before speaking again. “How many people d'you suppose think this is a publicity stunt or something?”

At that, Jon grins. “I can totally see the headlines now: ‘JonTron and Egoraptor seen in public. No heated arguments, regrettably. Polaris crew under questioning for fandom propaganda’,” he says with a wild gesture, and Arin laughs some more. The big one, the one Jon misses the most, apparently. God, it’s actually really nice to hear it up close like this.

“Umm, are you forgetting the domestic disputes?” Arin says mockingly, and now it’s Jon’s turn to laugh. Like full-on fucking laugh.

“Dude, don’t fucking feed them, someone could be listening!”

The two of them continue like this for a while, just cracking stupid jokes and sharing some laughs, until their food arrives. And it’s weirdly comfortable too. It doesn’t feel forced or anything, just like they haven’t seen each other in a month, much less a year and a half. By the time the food is on their table, things settle down a bit, and they focus more on that than anything else. However, once they finish, Jon is becoming increasingly aware of Arin’s constant clinking, and finally decides to address it. It’s basically the elephant in the room anyway. He almost reaches over to touch it to stop Arin from doing it, but thinks better of it.

“Dude, don’t keep doing that, you’ll crack it,” he says, nodding towards Arin’s right hand. Arin stops, almost looking ashamed, like he hadn’t even realized he was doing it. “And like, people here are probably getting pissed off at the noise.”

Arin clenches his hand into a fist, and then shakes it as if it’s wet. “Good point,” he half-mumbles and clears his throat.

It’s definitely the same thing, Jon is sure of it now. “Look dude, if it makes you feel any better, mine’s acting up too,” he says, gesturing to his chest. Arin looks up at him in surprise. “Yeah, fancy that. Jon and Arin agreeing on something.”

Arin blinks. “I mean, like, it’s not like, being weird or anything it’s just…” he trails off, pursing his lips before continuing. “Like have you ever had this happen where the gem and your head don’t match?” Jon must be making a confused face, because Arin quickly elaborates. “I mean like, you’re always in tune, right? Because your head’s basically just an expansion of your gem; it’s the same thing. But now it’s like… It’s like— it’s like, I think my gem wants something that I’m not thinking about.” He sighs. “Does that make like any sense?”

“Dude, if it wasn’t happening to me right now I’d have no fucking clue what you’re talking about,” Jon replies, glad to hear that Arin could put this into words. Arin looks equally relieved.

Arin chews his lip for a second. “D'you think it’s…?”

“Yeah, actually,” Jon replies. “They probably miss him more than we do. Or like… yeah, something like that.” It’s weird to talk about his gem as some separate part of him like this, but that’s what this is starting to feel like. It would explain the tug-itch-whatever that he’s been feeling.

At that, Arin nods, and looks down on the table before huffing out a laugh. “D’you remember when it first happened?”

Jon chuckles. “Who wouldn’t?” he replies with a grin. “Way too many laughs not to.”

“And you wanted to call him Ay-Ron,” Arin continues, and Jon actually guffaws. Like, he may have actually laughed so loud that people would be looking over at him disapprovingly now.

“I meant it like Aaron, ‘cause that’s got both our names in it, technically!” he says, still laughing a little. “C'mon, it’d be funny!”

“No it wouldn’t!” Arin exclaims, and now a few people actually are turning their heads at them and frowning. It’s hilarious. They stifle some more giggles and then Arin continues. “So. They clearly miss him,” he says, gesturing to their gems (again, weird to talk about them like something separate), and then looks up at Jon. “Do you?”

Jon hesitates, momentarily wondering which answer Arin wants to hear. Because on one hand, he does. Now that he’s thinking about their fusion, he really does miss him. But on the other hand, he doesn’t want to come on too strong, if Arin doesn’t miss him. “Does it matter?” he decides to say instead of either option. “Like, okay, sure, I kinda miss the whole process, and the whole togetherness of it or whatever, but it’s like… Well I mean, you’ve got all those other people and combos and shit anyway, so…” He drifts off, unsure how to continue. Hell, he isn’t even sure what he was going to say to begin with. Fuck, now it’s going to be awkward again.

“Dude, every fusion is different, you know that,” Arin says, in a surprisingly genuine tone. Jon just looks at him, because what else can he do? “Like, I didn’t think I missed him, since y’know, you weren’t there anymore and it’s not like this fucking thing has been happening for the past year,” he says, shaking his hand again, “but now having this talk and like things not being weird between us anymore it’s like…” He stops, and then lets out a sigh. “Look, all I’m saying is that I wouldn’t mind bringing him back, even just for a moment. Just- just, I dunno, for old time’s sake.”

Jon swallows. He wants to as well. Now that Arin’s brought it up, he really fucking wants to. And apparently they have both wanted to since they met the night prior, if this whole gem being uneasy business is anything to go by. “So… So let’s, then,” he then says. “Like, fuck it, it’s not like we’re gonna be seeing each other for like ever anyway. Yeah, fuck it, let’s!”

The smile Arin gives him in response to that is so excited, so genuine, that Jon can’t help but get giddy too, even more than he already is. They pay their respective bills, and then set out to find some place to fuse. Ideally a place that’s not too crowded but also not too open. Don’t want it to look like they’re on a fucking engagement date or something. Excitement lingers in the air between them regardless, and they shoot each other grins as they keep moving.

Eventually, they find themselves on a nearby street or a path, and it’s pretty much exactly what they need. They are aware that some of the people are whispering to each other, some picking out their phones and sneaking some side glances, but they both ignore it for now. They then get into position, facing one another, and grin stupidly.

The dance itself is a bit stiff since they’re both way out of practice (and need some reminders for some of the steps), but they manage to pull through. As they move, Jon feels his gem start to glow, and sees Arin’s do so as well. The familiar but almost forgotten feeling of the two of them becoming one being gets more and more prominent before Jon doesn’t even register being himself anymore. Soon, there are no actual bodies to speak of, but only a bright glow, with two gems still dancing around as if on a cloud. They continue to move in the air, layered atop the light, positioning themselves. Finally, there’s a new burst of light, and out of it springs a new, larger being than was there before.

He stands hunched for a moment, grounding himself, trying not to lose his balance, and then looks up. The people that hadn’t been watching are certainly looking now, and as they stare, he stands up straight and smiles happily at them. “Hey, you all just witnessed a gem fusion,” he says matter-of-factly, waving his upper right hand to demonstrate his status as a gem. “Pretty nifty stuff, right?”

There are some more flashing lights (phones and cameras this time), and he doesn’t really pay them much attention. Just a little. Because he hasn’t been around for ages, and it feels so good to be him again! And who is he to stop people from being intrigued by a large, four-armed dude? He grins wide before darting to the nearest shop window to have a look at himself, not minding at all that people are still staring and taking pictures and recording and whatever else.

His reflection tells him a lot of things. For one, either Jon or Arin has put on some weight since they last met, because he’s a little bit pudgier than last time. He squishes his belly and laughs, noting that his shirt is slightly different this time. And hey, it’s actually got sleeves now. Oh, but there’s a hole on the front of it, probably because Jon stopped showing off his cleavage a while ago, so now that’s the only way to show off the chest gem. He chuckles some more before moving on to his hair. Still as messy a mop as ever, and just a little bit shorter than last time. The streak is still there, which is nice.

Finally, he takes a good look at his face. He smiles. It’s comforting, actually, even with the added fuzz on his upper lip and jaw. It gives him a sense of familiarity, even if he doesn’t know much else. He pokes his puffy cheeks, still grinning like a moron, before looking down on his upper right hand and his chest. He shakes his head as he glances at both gems interchangeably.

“We are such morons,” he says as he gently places his upper right hand on his chest. “Of course we missed me. I happened in the best fucking way ever! Like a happy little accident.” He laughs. “Not that I’m implying anything, but come on, that’s basically what it is.”

Some more people are looking at him now that he’s talking, and he just glances at them with a bright smile. “Hey, how’s it goin’?” he says happily to those who stare longer, waving to get their attention. “The name’s Jorin, by the way, you can put that on your captions,” he adds to the people obviously taking pictures of him.

Before long, he’s back to looking at his reflection, and has placed the gems together again. “I really wish we could stay together like this for longer, y’know. I can feel that things aren’t as weird anymore with us. It’s not like it used to be, I get that, but it’s… It’s different. I like it. I like us. I like me.” He smiles brightly and giggles. “We should probably get going. Gotta catch up with that sleep and stuff now that the con’s over. Oh, and get ready to be sick, like after every damn MAGfest.”

With that, Jorin begins to glow again, and stays that way for a moment with only the two gems visible like before. Eventually, Jon and Arin fall to the ground with a thud. As they dust themselves off, they try not to look to the people around them again, because things are going to get a bit complicated.

They stand there for a moment, not exactly facing each other, but the shop window, looking at each other’s reflections. Jon notices immediately that Arin is no longer clenching his right hand, and he finally feels some ease in his chest. He glances up at Arin’s face in the window and grins.

“Hey,” he then says, prompting Arin to meet his reflected gaze. “That was, uh… actually pretty nice.”

At that, Arin smiles. “Yeah, it was. Maybe a little short, but what can you do.”

Jon chuckles. “Well, I mean, he’s got a point. There’s a shit ton of post-con stuff to do that we kinda need to do separately,” he says.

“Myeah, true,” Arin replies, and shuffles his feet a little, kicking a stray pebble at the store wall. “But listen, if anybody asks, you liked that way better than I did, okay?”

“Oh come on, don’t make me the bearer of the sap story!” Jon says, giving Arin’s shoulder a little shoves. They laugh. “No but seriously, dude, that was, like, beyond nice. You feeling any better over there?” he adds, nodding to Arin’s hand.

“Well, I mean, I don’t feel like clawing my own gem off to scratch at my palm anymore, so that’s good,” Arin replies, and then points to Jon’s chest. “You?”

“Definitely not feeling like a schoolgirl with a crush anymore,” he jokes, and they both share a laugh. Finally, Jon turns to face Arin – the actual Arin, not just his reflection – and puts a hand on his shoulder. “Hey, listen man, thanks for this. And for not running away after old purple crotch stopped us last night.”

Arin’s smile widens slightly, and he pats Jon’s hand on his shoulder. “Yeah man, this has been great. A little old-school Grump reunion.”

“Those photos are gonna make people start talking,” Jon points out with a smug little grin. “Are you ready to take responsibility of the subreddit?”

For a moment, Arin looks up mockingly as if in deep thought, and then nods. “Yeah, I think I can handle the pressure of saying how we got caught up, had dinner and patched things up,” he says.

“D’you think you can finally actually acknowledge me on the show now?” Jon asks, and it’s not like he expects an answer or anything. Just because the two of them are okay doesn’t mean their supervisors are.

“I’ll make a deal with you,” Arin says, instead of anything Jon would have expected him to say. “If I or Dan or Ross, or anybody eventually mentions you, you have to change your bio to ‘Co-Creator of Game Grumps’. Either Twitter or YouTube. Whatever.”

Jon laughs. “Get over here, you bastard,” he says, daring to pull Arin in for a hug. At first, it seems that Arin is too surprised to reciprocate, but he does, and the two of them stay like that for a while. Jon would be lying if he said he didn’t hold onto Arin a bit tighter when he felt it was appropriate.

It’s weird. It’s so damn weird being able to do this again. Because they used to do this on a daily basis, just meeting up and hanging out. But now is a fucking rare occurrence, and the fact that it’s actually happening is really damn satisfying. As is just being able to hug like this. Maybe that’s the nicest bit of it.

They part, still grinning at each other, before nodding.

“Well, uh, guess I’ll see you on the flipside?” Jon says, unsure of what else to say.

“Hey man, don’t doubt it,” Arin replies. “I think Jorin’s got at least one move left in him.”

“We’ll make a big deal of it next MAGfest,” Jon says as they seem to be stepping away from each other. Figures, since their hotels are pretty far apart. God, it’s so fucking sappy and cliché. But it’s still nice. Still nice, though.

“Dude, a big old fuckin’ Jorin panel, that’s what’s happening!” Arin exclaims, and Jon laughs.

“Just stay grump, idiot!” Jon shouts, feeling like he has to at this point, seeing as how far apart they already are.

“Keep your onions and gears at bay you fucking clod!”

And that’s the last thing Jon hears before Arin gets out of earshot. He laughs to himself and shakes his head. ‘Fucking clod’. It’s been ages since anyone even thought of calling him that. And it had probably been Arin too.

Jon’s gem feels free, if that makes any sense. It’s been so weird this whole weekend, but now it’s just all floaty and good. He thinks back to what Jorin said about it being different, but nice. He agrees. It really has been nice. Not as carefree as they used to be, but still, it had worked out between them. He then remembers what Jorin said about him being a ‘happy little accident’ (fucking Bob Rossing it all over the place), and how the same can probably be applied to this whole thing. This meeting of the minds that everybody is sure to lose their shit over once it gets around. Jon smiles to himself and pats his chest as he marches along, already feeling the post-con flu starting to rear its ugly head.

Clearly the ideal recipe for a good reunion seems to be: the right place, the right time, and a cosplayer with a purple crotch.


End file.
